Abstract
From an external point of view, Canada and the United States are sometimes considered as pretty similar countries, concerning cultures and policies. However, these two countries can have very different behaviours on some issues. This is the case in the domain of gay and lesbian rights, and notably same-sex marriage. In spite of the proximity between both states, they do not have the same approach at all. Canada seems to be much more tolerant and ready to grant rights to the homosexual community, contrary to the United States which is more reluctant on the subject. Even if there has been progress in each country _ for example, homosexuality has been decriminalized _ a significant gap remains between Canadian and American gay rights policies. So what are the main differences and why do they exist?
